now that with all women the present
lover is an angel and the past a demon, and so on in turn. And I know
that if Satan were to enter the women of the stage, with the wild idea
of impairing their veracity, he would come out of their minds a greater
liar than he went in, and the innocent darlings would never know their
spiritual father had been at them."

Doubtful whether this sentiment and period could be improved, Sir
Charles parted with his friend, leaving his sting in him like a friend;
the other's reflections as he sauntered home were not strictly those of
a wise, well-balanced mind; they ran in this style:

"When she said, 'Is not that to praise my person at the expense of my
wit?' I ought to have said, 'Nay, madam; could your wit disguise your
person, it would betray itself, so you would still shine confessed;' and
instead of that I said nothing!"

He then ran over in his mind all the opportunities he had had
for putting in something smart, and bitterly regretted those lost
opportunities; and made the smart things, and beat the air with them.
Then his cheeks tingled when he remembered that he had almost scolded
her; and he concocted a very different speech, and straightway repeated
it in imagination.

This is lovers' pastime; I own it funny; but it is open to one
objection, this single practice of sitting upon eggs no longer
chickenable, carried to a habit, is capable of turning a solid intellect
into a liquid one, and ruining a mind's career.

We leave Mr. Vane, therefore, with a hope that he will not do it every
night; and we follow his friend to the close of our chapter.

Hey for a definition!

What is diplomacy? Is it folly in a coat that looks like sagacity? Had
Sir Charles Pomander, instead of watching Mr. Vane and Mrs. Woffington,
asked the former whether he admired the latter, and whether the latter
responded, straightforward Vane would have told him the whole truth in a
minute. Diplomacy therefore was, as it often is, a waste of time.

But diplomacy did more in this case, it _sapienter descendebat in
fossam;_ it fell on its nose with gymnastic dexterity, as it generally
does, upon my word.

To watch Mrs. Woffington's face _vis-a-vis_ Mr. Vane, Pomander
introduced Vane to the green-room of the Theater Royal, Covent Garden.
By this Pomander learned nothing, because Mrs. Woffington had, with a
wonderful appearance of openness, the closest face in Europe when she
chose.

On the other hand, by int